Awalt v. Marketti

74 F. Supp. 3d 909, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 164117, 2014 WL 6686498
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedNovember 24, 2014
DocketNo. 11 C 6142
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 74 F. Supp. 3d 909 (Awalt v. Marketti) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Awalt v. Marketti, 74 F. Supp. 3d 909, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 164117, 2014 WL 6686498 (N.D. Ill. 2014).

Opinion

Memorandum Opinion and Order

Honorable THOMAS M. DURKIN, United States District Judge

Elizabeth Await (“Plaintiff’), as administrator for the estate of her husband Robert Await (“Await”), alleges that Grundy County and the Grundy County Sheriffs Office, directly and doing business through its prison medical services providers Correctional Health Companies, Inc. (“CHC”), and Health Professional, Ltd. (“HPL”), caused Awalt’s death by being deliberately indifferent to his medical needs while he was in custody at the Grundy County Jail. R. 120. Plaintiff also alleges that former Grundy County Sheriff, Terry Marketti (“Sheriff Marketti”), Duane McComas, individually and in his official capacity as Superintendent of Grundy County Jail, and correctional officers Melanie Van Cleave, Patrick Sealock, Matthew Walker, Kim Lear, Roger Thorson, Robert Matte-son, David Obrochta (the “Correctional Officers”), along with CHC employees Dr. Stephen Cullinan and Nurse Marjorie Clauson, are liable for Awalt’s death. Id. Specifically, Plaintiff alleges the following claims: Count I for unreasonable and deliberately indifferent denial of medical care, in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, as to the conduct of both the individual defendants’ actions and the policies and practices of the entity defendants under the doctrine of Monell v. Dep’t of Social Services of the City of New York, 436 U.S. 658, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978); Count II for conspiracy to commit the civil rights violations alleged in Count I; Count III for failure to [919]*919intervene to prevent the civil rights violations alleged in County I; Count IV under the Illinois Survival Act for intentional infliction of emotional distress in violation of Illinois law; Count V under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act for intentional battery in violation of Illinois law; Count VI under the Illinois Survival Act for intentional battery in violation of Illinois law; Count VII under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act for negligent or willful and wanton conduct in violation of Illinois law; Count VIII under the Illinois Survival Act for negligent or willful and wanton conduct in violation of Illinois law; Counts IX and X against CHC/HPL and Sheriff Marketti in his official capacity for respondeat superior liability for the state law Counts; Count XI for indemnification of any judgment against County employees by the County; and Count XII for spoliation of evidence in violation of Illinois law. Grundy County, the Sheriffs Office, Sheriff Kevin Callhan, Rick Marketti (as administrator for Sheriff Marketti’s estate), Superintendent McCo-mas, and the Correctional Officers (collectively, the “County Defendants”), have moved for summary judgment, R. 309, on all counts, excluding the issues of “whether [Officers] Sealock, Walker, Lear, and Thorson gave Await his medications as they say they did, and whether [Officer] Van Cleave knew Await had suffered seizures in the Jail, but took no action.” R. 321 at 7. CHC, HPL, Dr. Cullinan, and Nurse Clauson (collectively, the “Medical Defendants”), have also moved for summary judgment on all counts. R. 312.

On November 17, 2014, the Court entered an order stating that the motions were denied in part, granted in part, and continued with respect to Plaintiffs theory of liability based on a failure to train. R. 394. On November 18, 2014, the Court partially vacated the November 17 order with respect to Count XII against the Medical Defendants only. R. 402. This memorandum opinion and order states the reasons for the Court’s prior orders, and additionally, denies Defendants’ motions for summary judgment with respect to Plaintiffs failure to train theory of liability, and denies the Medical Defendants’ motion with respect to Count XII.1

Legal Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate “if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a); see also Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The Court considers the entire evidentiary record and must view all of the evidence and draw all reasonable inferences from that evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmovant. Ball v. Kotter, 723 F.3d 813, 821 (7th Cir.2013). To defeat summary judgment, a nonmovant must produce more than “a mere scintilla of evidence” and come forward with “specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Harris N.A. v. Hershey, 711 F.3d 794, 798 (7th Cir.2013). Ultimately, summary judgment is warranted only if a reasonable jury could not return a verdict [920]*920for the nonmovant. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

Background

1. Awalt’s Detention and Death

The Grundy County Jail (the “Jail”) is not a large facility. In 2010 it had a capacity of 72 detainees. R. 311-2 at 87:22-88:8. The Jail is divided into sections A through L, see R. 336-6 at 349-53, with each section having approximately three or four cells, containing single or bunk beds, id., and a common area, see generally R. 311-2, where the detainees spend most of their waking hours. See 336-4 at 197 (15:21-16:10). Section A is immediately adjacent to the guard station, while Section C is 15 feet from the guard station. R. 311-3 at 138:13-21; 142:2-6. The Jail has a video surveillance system that records activity in the common areas and the hallways leading to the cells, but not inside all of the individual cells themselves. R. 311-2 at 224:2-3, 229:21-23, 231:8-15. Correctional officers are required to conduct security cell checks every 30 minutes. R. 311-42 at 31:21-22, 32:1-3. Correctional officers have access to the video monitors from the guard station, and there are also video monitors in the superintendent’s office. R. 336-6 at 477 (121:12-16).

Await was arrested and taken to the Grundy County Jail on September 14, 2010, at about 10:34 p.m. R. 329 ¶¶ 3-4. Officer Obrochta completed Awalt’s intake form, noting that he suffered from seizures and was taking the medications Dilantin and Topamax.2 R. 311-6 at 4. Await was initially placed in Section A, which was immediately adjacent to the guard station. See R. 336-6 at 349.

The next morning at 9:00 a.m., Await saw Nurse Clauson and he told her that he was taking Dilantin and Topamax for seizures. R. 311-6 at 50. Nurse Clauson testified that she told Await he needed to have the proof that he required these medications brought to the jail. R. 311-14 at 88:9-21. Plaintiff testified that Await told her he had seen a nurse, but he never asked Plaintiff to bring him proof of his medications. R. 336-2 at 279:16-281:12.

At 3:00 p.m., after Await was not released after his preliminary hearing (which took place from approximately 1:35 to 1:55 p.m. on September 15), Nurse Clauson told a correctional officer at the jail to call Dr. Cullinan to order Dilantin for Await. R. 329 ¶ 8. Officer Thorson contacted Dr. Cullinan, and Dr. Cullinan ordered that 400 mg of Dilantin be given to Await immediately and two daily doses of 200 mg thereafter. Id. ¶ 9. There is no record of what information Dr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
74 F. Supp. 3d 909, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 164117, 2014 WL 6686498, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/awalt-v-marketti-ilnd-2014.